From ESPN reporter to shoeshine boy - The unexpected ending of a journalist

Jeff Bradley has spent most of his summers at Major League Baseball facilities. He was a professional baseball reporter for ESPN and the Newark Star-Ledger.

But last summer was different. Struggling to make ends meet after being laid off by the Star-Ledger in January 2013, Bradley took a job as a club attendant at a country club near his home in New Jersey, shining shoes, vacuuming carpets, and cleaning bathrooms.

Bradley may be the only clubhouse employee who has ever written about Derek Jeter (a professional baseball superstar) for national publications. On several occasions, Bradley has been mistaken for a clubhouse member. On other occasions, he has encountered people who know him as a “sports journalist” and ask the inevitable question: What happened?

"Obviously I feel very embarrassed sometimes. But most people, if they have a heart, say, 'I respect what you're doing. You're doing what you have to do [for your family]," Bradley shared.

Last week, Bradley decided to tell his story on his personal website. In a phone interview, he said he didn't bring up the frustrations and hardships he endured so "people would feel sorry for me."

“I just think this is something that happens to a lot of people who used to be journalists,” Bradley shared.

Indeed, the comments under Bradley’s article revealed a sad side of the newspaper industry, where longtime sports writers suddenly become anonymous. Several former journalists expressed sympathy for Bradley by sharing their own stories.

“I drive for Uber, which I can say is absolutely not my dream job,” said Rachel Shuster, a former reporter for USA Today.

Diane Pucin, a former reporter for the Los Angeles Times, shared: "It's very similar to my life story... I was even rejected from a grocery store for a job as a cashier."

David Andriesen, a former National League baseball reporter for the now-defunct Seattle Post-Intelligencer, decided to become a kindergarten teacher.

“I remember saying to my wife, ‘I can’t change careers now. If I go back to get a master’s degree to teach, I won’t be able to start working until I’m 43,’” he says. “She said, ‘You have 20 more years to work, and you’ll still be 43 whether you’re a teacher or not.’”

Wendell Barnhouse, a former reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, recently lost his job as a contributor to the Big 12 website. "I seriously doubt I'll ever find a job in anything related to sports," he wrote.

Filip Bondy, who was recently laid off by the New York Daily News, writes: "It seems that in our industry, 50 is 66."

Bradley wasn't surprised by the reaction. "I know there are a lot of us out there," he said.

At 51, Bradley said it had been more than a year since he had a proper job interview. He continues to contribute to SI.com and the New York Times, among other outlets. But the freelance life is less lucrative these days.

In his post, he wrote: "The reality is, I would have to write 300 stories a year for those two outlets to make half of what I used to make at ESPN the Magazine. Writing 300 stories a year is impossible. If you tried your best, you would only write about 150, which would be a quarter of what I used to make. I didn't do that. Maybe that's why I became a locker room boy."

In our phone interview, Bradley, like most journalists in his situation, has heard the term “exposure angle” too many times.

“You hear them say, ‘I can’t pay, but this is great. You’re going to get a lot of traffic.’ It’s an insult. I’d rather scrub toilets and shine golf shoes and make money than write for free,” Bradley says.

Bradley said working as a club attendant has become a necessary alternative for him this summer. His wife is a special education teacher (“She’s a rock star,” he said), and they have a college freshman and a high school senior.

“Every month, there are bills to pay,” said Bradley, who earns $15 an hour plus tips at the club. “I don’t get enough outside work. It sounds stupid, but I know I’m going to get a paycheck from the club every week.”

However, the club is now closed for the season, but Bradley continues to look for work and write when he can.

He believes he has the talent to make a difference somewhere. Comments on Bradley's post included a note of encouragement from John Papanek, his former editor at ESPN the Magazine.

Papanek writes: "Do me a favor. The next time you find yourself in a place that needs a professional, versatile, and excellent reporter, tell them to call me."

Bradley, however, doesn't hold out much hope that his phone will ring with a full-time offer any time soon. "I believe there are jobs out there [for freelancers willing to work for low wages], I just don't believe there are jobs out there," he says of journalism.

Regarding his future, Bradley is very realistic. He is ready to return to the club next spring "if they want me back"./.

According to Vietnamplus